Tropical Weather Summary

000
ABNT30 KNHC 011404
TWSAT
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
800 AM EST FRI DEC 1 2006
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
THE 2006 SEASON PRODUCED NINE NAMED STORMS...OF WHICH FIVE BECAME
HURRICANES AND TWO BECAME MAJOR HURRICANES. THESE NUMBERS ARE JUST
SLIGHTLY BELOW THE LONG-TERM AVERAGES. HOWEVER...THE SEASON WAS
COMPACT AND THE FOUR HURRICANES THAT FORMED DURING SEPTEMBER IS
ABOVE THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE FOR THAT MONTH. THREE SYSTEMS MADE
LANDFALL IN THE UNITED STATES AS TROPICAL STORMS. NO HURRICANES HIT
THE UNITED STATES THIS YEAR...WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS
OCCURRED SINCE 2001.
IN ADDITION...A JULY WEATHER SYSTEM OVER THE ATLANTIC SOUTH OF NOVA
SCOTIA IS BEING REEXAMINED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...AS
PART OF ITS STANDARD POST-STORM ANALYSIS PROCESS...TO DETERMINE
WHETHER IT QUALIFIES AS AN UNNAMED TROPICAL CYCLONE.
ALBERTO FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IN THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA EARLY ON 10 JUNE. THE CENTER OF THE POORLY-ORGANIZED
DEPRESSION MOVED NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL THAT
NIGHT...AND THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM OVER THE
SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO EARLY ON 11 JUNE WHILE CENTERED ABOUT
100 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA. ALBERTO THEN
TURNED NORTHWARD AND STRENGTHENED SLIGHTLY...WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF
50 MPH EARLY ON 12 JUNE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF. THE STORM TURNED
NORTHEASTWARD LATER THAT MORNING WHILE ABRUPTLY STRENGTHENING TO
ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 70 MPH. ALBERTO WEAKENED THE FOLLOWING NIGHT
AS IT APPROACHED THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. ITS
CENTER MADE LANDFALL NEAR ADAMS BEACH IN THE BIG BEND AREA OF
FLORIDA...ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TALLAHASSEE...ON 13 JUNE.
ALBERTO WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON 14 JUNE OVER GEORGIA AND
THEN EMERGED OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AS AN
EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT NIGHT. THE SYSTEM
ACCELERATED NORTHEASTWARD AND BECAME A POWERFUL EXTRATROPICAL STORM
JUST SOUTH OF NOVA SCOTIA. IT PASSED OVER NEWFOUNDLAND AND THEN
TRAVERSED THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN...REACHING THE BRITISH ISLES
WHERE IT WAS ABSORBED BY A FRONTAL SYSTEM ON 19 JUNE. WHILE THE
DAMAGES CAUSED BY ALBERTO WERE LIMITED...SOME STRUCTURES WERE
DAMAGED BY STORM SURGE FLOODING IN LEVY AND CITRUS COUNTIES IN
FLORIDA.
BERYL DEVELOPED IN A SURFACE TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH A DECAYING
STATIONARY FRONTAL ZONE OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST. A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION FORMED ON 18 JULY ABOUT 290 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF
WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. THE CYCLONE STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL
STORM LATER THAT DAY. MOVING GENERALLY NORTHWARD...BERYL PASSED
ABOUT 115 MILES EAST OF CAPE HATTERAS ON 19 JULY...AND IT
STRENGTHENED TO ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 60 MPH A LITTLE LATER THAT
DAY. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...BERYL TURNED TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST AND NORTHEAST WITH INCREASING FORWARD SPEED...
PASSING OVER NANTUCKET EARLY ON 21 JULY WHERE WIND GUSTS TO
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WERE REPORTED. THE WEAKENING STORM CONTINUED
TO ACCELERATE NORTHEASTWARD...AND BERYL LOST ITS TROPICAL
CHARACTERISTICS OVER WESTERN NOVA SCOTIA LATE ON 21 JULY. THE
REMNANTS OF BERYL MERGED WITH ANOTHER EXTRATROPICAL LOW THE NEXT
DAY. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF CASUALTIES OR SIGNIFICANT DAMAGES.
CHRIS DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE AND BECAME A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION EARLY ON 1 AUGUST ABOUT 200 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD
ISLANDS. MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...THE DEPRESSION BECAME A
TROPICAL STORM A FEW HOURS LATER. EARLY ON 2 AUGUST THE STORM
REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 65 MPH WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 50 MILES
NORTH OF THE NORTHERNMOST LEEWARD ISLANDS. HOWEVER...EARLY ON 3
AUGUST...THE STORM ABRUPTLY WEAKENED AS THE MID-LEVEL CIRCULATION
SEPARATED FROM THE LOW-LEVEL CENTER IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF STRONG
VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. THE SYSTEM CONTINUED WESTWARD AND WEAKENED TO
A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 4 AUGUST NEAR THE TURKS AND CAICOS...AND
IT DISSIPATED EARLY THE NEXT DAY WHILE APPROACHING CUBA.
DEBBY DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE IN THE FAR EASTERN
ATLANTIC ABOUT 260 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE
ISLANDS ON 21 AUGUST. AFTER BECOMING A DEPRESSION...IT MOVED
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...PASSING ABOUT 100 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF
THE ISLANDS ON 22 AUGUST. EARLY ON 23 AUGUST THE DEPRESSION BECAME
A TROPICAL STORM ABOUT 225 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE
ISLANDS...AND ITS WINDS REACHED 50 MPH LATER THAT DAY. DEBBY MOVED
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS...BUT IT BEGAN TO WEAKEN ON 25 AUGUST DUE TO
SOUTHERLY WIND SHEAR. DEBBY WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION AND
DEGENERATED TO A REMNANT LOW THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 1400 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. THE REMNANT LOW THEN TURNED NORTHWARD
AND DISSIPATED ON 28 AUGUST AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM.
ERNESTO ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE AND BECAME A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ON 24 AUGUST AS IT WAS PASSING OVER THE WINDWARD
ISLANDS. IT STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT
MORNING ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTH OF PUERTO RICO. CONTINUING
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...ERNESTO SLOWLY STRENGTHENED AND HAD MAXIMUM
WINDS OF 50 MPH BY THE NEXT MORNING. THE STORM TURNED NORTHWESTWARD
ON 26 AUGUST OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AND CONTINUED TO INTENSIFY.
EARLY THE NEXT DAY...WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH OF THE
SOUTHERN COAST OF HAITI...ERNESTO WAS BRIEFLY A HURRICANE WITH
MAXIMUM WINDS OF 75 MPH. STEADY WEAKENING OCCURRED....HOWEVER...
DURING THE FOLLOWING DAY AS ERNESTO PASSED VERY NEAR THE
SOUTHWESTERN TIP OF HAITI. ERNESTO THEN MADE LANDFALL JUST WEST OF
GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA ON 28 AUGUST AS A TROPICAL STORM WITH 40 MPH
WINDS AND EMERGED OFF THE NORTH-CENTRAL COAST EARLY THE NEXT DAY.
THE STORM CONTINUED NORTHWESTWARD WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH
AND MADE LANDFALL IN EXTREME SOUTHERN FLORIDA EARLY ON 30 AUGUST
WITH 45 MPH MAXIMUM WINDS. ERNESTO WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION LATER
THAT DAY WHILE MOVING NORTHWARD OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA.
AFTER DEPARTING THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA NEAR CAPE CANAVERAL EARLY
ON 31 AUGUST...ERNESTO STRENGTHENED OVER THE WARM WATERS OF THE
ATLANTIC WHILE HEADING NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD. ERNESTO THEN MADE
LANDFALL EARLY ON 1 SEPTEMBER NEAR OAK ISLAND NORTH CAROLINA...JUST
WEST OF CAPE FEAR...AS A STRONG TROPICAL STORM WITH MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 MPH. IT WEAKENED INLAND AND BECAME A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION OVER NORTH CAROLINA LATER THAT DAY. HOWEVER...THE
COMBINATION OF ERNESTO AND A LARGE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO ITS
NORTH PRODUCED GALE FORCE WINDS OVER MANY AREAS NEAR THE COAST OF
THE UNITED STATES FROM VIRGINIA TO NEW YORK. ERNESTO LOST ITS
TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS BY EARLY ON 2 SEPTEMBER AS IT MOVED OVER
VIRGINIA. THE SYSTEM MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWARD OVER PENNSYLVANIA AND
NEW YORK AND WAS GRADUALLY ABSORBED INTO A LARGER EXTRATROPICAL
SYSTEM DURING THE FOLLOWING COUPLE OF DAYS. FIVE FATALITIES WERE
DIRECTLY CAUSED BY ERNESTO IN HAITI...AND TWO FATALITIES IN
VIRGINIA OCCURRED WHEN A TREE FELL ON A RESIDENCE IN STRONG WINDS
NORTH OF ERNESTO. MANY LOCATIONS IN HAITI...THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC...AND THE EASTERN UNITED STATES EXPERIENCED DAMAGES DUE TO
FLOODS CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH ERNESTO.
FLORENCE ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT LEFT THE COAST OF
AFRICA ON 29 AUGUST...AND IT DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON
3 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 1525 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
THE SYSTEM MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 5
SEPTEMBER. FLORENCE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND STRENGTHENED ON 9
SEPTEMBER...BECOMING A HURRICANE EARLY THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 360 MILES
SOUTH OF BERMUDA. THE HURRICANE TURNED NORTHWARD...PASSING ABOUT 60
MILES WEST OF BERMUDA ON 11 SEPTEMBER WHILE AT ITS ESTIMATED PEAK
INTENSITY OF 90 MPH. FLORENCE TURNED NORTHEASTWARD LATER THAT DAY
AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL ON 12 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 600 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND. AS A POWERFUL EXTRATROPICAL LOW...
FLORENCE PASSED NEAR CAPE RACE ON 13 SEPTEMBER AND THEN MOVED
EASTWARD INTO THE OPEN NORTH ATLANTIC FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE
EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS OF FLORENCE WERE ABSORBED BY ANOTHER LOW
SOUTHWEST OF ICELAND ON 19 SEPTEMBER. FLORENCE BROUGHT HURRICANE
CONDITIONS TO BERMUDA...CAUSING WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES...MINOR
DAMAGE...AND A FEW INJURIES. AS AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW...FLORENCE
BROUGHT HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS TO SOUTHEASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND...WHERE
MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED AS WELL.
GORDON FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT LEFT THE WEST COAST OF
AFRICA ON 1 SEPTEMBER. AS THE WAVE MOVED WESTWARD FOR ABOUT A
WEEK... DEVELOPMENT WAS HINDERED BY NEARBY HURRICANE FLORENCE. BY 9
SEPTEMBER...FLORENCE HAD MOVED FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE WAVE TO
ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO DEVELOP...AND THE FOLLOWING DAY A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION FORMED ABOUT 540 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD
ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON 11
SEPTEMBER AND TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHWEST. LATE ON 12 SEPTEMBER...
GORDON BECAME A HURRICANE AND STARTED MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH. IT
INTENSIFIED RAPIDLY ON 13 SEPTEMBER AND REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY
OF 120 MPH ABOUT 575 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. MOVING
NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC...GORDON MAINTAINED MAJOR
HURRICANE STATUS FOR ABOUT A DAY. THE CYCLONE THEN STALLED OVER THE
CENTRAL ATLANTIC FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND WEAKENED. AN UPPER-LEVEL
TROUGH FINALLY ACCELERATED GORDON NORTHEASTWARD ON 17 SEPTEMBER.
THE TROPICAL CYCLONE TURNED TOWARD THE EAST ON 19 SEPTEMBER AND
STRENGTHENED...REACHING A SECOND PEAK INTENSITY OF 105 MPH ABOUT
630 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES. GORDON WEAKENED AND PASSED THROUGH THE
SOUTHERNMOST AZORES EARLY ON 20 SEPTEMBER...THEN BECAME
EXTRATROPICAL LATE IN THE DAY ABOUT 275 MILES WEST OF THE COAST OF
PORTUGAL. AS A STRONG EXTRATROPICAL LOW...GORDON TURNED NORTHWARD
ON 21 SEPTEMBER AND INTENSIFIED. THE LOW PASSED OVER WESTERN
IRELAND LATE THAT DAY...THEN MADE A CYCLONIC LOOP BEFORE
DISSIPATING BETWEEN IRELAND AND ENGLAND ON 24 SEPTEMBER.
GORDON CAUSED HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS ON SANTA MARIA IN THE
AZORES...AND AS AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW DID THE SAME IN PORTIONS OF
SPAIN AND THE BRITISH ISLES. AS A TROPICAL CYCLONE IT CAUSED MINOR
DAMAGE IN THE AZORES...AND AS AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW IT CAUSED WIND
DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES IN SPAIN...BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
HELENE DEVELOPED FROM A VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE THAT EMERGED FROM THE
COAST OF AFRICA ON 11 SEPTEMBER. SHOWER ACTIVITY QUICKLY INCREASED
AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED OVER THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC
ABOUT 230 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THE
LARGE DEPRESSION PASSED ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTH OF THE CAPE VERDE
ISLANDS BEFORE STRENGTHENING TO A TROPICAL STORM EARLY ON 14
SEPTEMBER. MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD... HELENE GRADUALLY
STRENGTHENED AND BECAME A HURRICANE ON 16 SEPTEMBER WHILE LOCATED
ABOUT 1150 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. THE NEXT
DAY...THE HURRICANE SLOWED DOWN AND TURNED NORTHWESTWARD WHILE
CONTINUING TO INTENSIFY. HELENE BECAME A MAJOR HURRICANE ON 18
SEPTEMBER AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER REACHED AN ESTIMATED PEAK
INTENSITY OF 120 MPH. ON 19 SEPTEMBER...THE HURRICANE MOVED
WESTWARD BRIEFLY AND WEAKENED TO A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE. HELENE
THEN TURNED NORTHWARD ON 20 SEPTEMBER AHEAD OF A LARGE DEEP-LAYER
TROUGH MOVING OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. HELENE
PASSED ABOUT 550 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA EARLY ON 21 SEPTEMBER AND
THEN TURNED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE OPEN WATERS OF THE CENTRAL
ATLANTIC. HELENE RETAINED HURRICANE STRENGTH UNTIL BECOMING
EXTRATROPICAL ON 24 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 315 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE
AZORES. THE EXTRATROPICAL LOW GRADUALLY WEAKENED AND PASSED NEAR
NORTHWESTERN IRELAND AND SCOTLAND ON 27 SEPTEMBER. IT WAS ABSORBED
BY A LARGER EXTRATROPICAL LOW LATE THAT DAY.
ISAAC DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT EXITED THE COAST OF AFRICA
ON 18 SEPTEMBER. THIS LARGE WAVE AND ASSOCIATED SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS TRACKED FOR NINE DAYS AS IT MOVED
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN ATLANTIC. ON 27 SEPTEMBER...A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED FROM THE WAVE ABOUT 930 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED TO A
TROPICAL STORM ON THE 28 SEPTEMBER AND BECAME A HURRICANE ABOUT 370
MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA ON 30 SEPTEMBER WHILE BEING STEERED
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD BY MID-LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL
ATLANTIC. ISAAC REACHED ITS ESTIMATED PEAK INTENSITY OF 85 MPH
AROUND 0000 UTC 1 OCTOBER ABOUT 385 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.
ON THE SAME DAY...ISAAC RECURVED AROUND THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. THE CYCLONE
MOVED QUICKLY TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST ON 2 OCTOBER AHEAD OF AN
APPROACHING DEEP-LAYER TROUGH FROM THE WEST. DURING THIS TIME...
ISAAC ENCOUNTERED INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY SHEAR AND COOLER WATERS
AND BY 1200 UTC THAT DAY...IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM. LATER
ON 2 OCTOBER...THE CENTER OF ISAAC QUICKLY PASSED ABOUT 40 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND. EVEN THOUGH
ISAAC REMAINED OFFSHORE...WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WERE
EXPERIENCED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN AVALON PENINSULA. ISAAC
TRANSITIONED TO AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE BY 0000 UTC 3 OCTOBER AND
MERGED WITH A LARGER EXTRATROPICAL LOW LATER THAT DAY.
SUMMARY TABLE
NAME DATES MAX WIND DEATHS U.S. DAMAGE
MPH $MILLION
---------------------------------------------------------------
TS ALBERTO 10-14 JUN 70 0 MINOR
TS BERYL 18-21 JUL 60 0 0
TS CHRIS 1-5 AUG 65 0 0
TS DEBBY 21-26 AUG 50 0 0
H ERNESTO 24 AUG-2 SEP 75 5 500
H FLORENCE 3-12 SEP 90 0 0
H GORDON 10-20 SEP 120 0 0
H HELENE 12-24 SEP 120 0 0
H ISAAC 27 SEP-2 OCT 85 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE...DATES BASED ON COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC)
$$
FORECASTER AVILA/BEVEN/FRANKLIN/KNABB/PASCH/STEWART/
BLAKE/BROWN/MAINELLI/RHOME